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For macOS creators, developers, and knowledge workers

Protect your eyes with the 20-20-20 rule

Faraway is a focused menu bar app that reminds you to look away every 20 minutes. It keeps the reminder simple, calm, and effective so you can work longer with less visual fatigue.

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What Faraway is (in one minute)

Faraway is a free, local-first macOS menu-bar reminder for the 20-20-20 rule.

It helps users reduce long-screen eye fatigue by triggering a short break prompt every 20 minutes, typically for 20 seconds.

It is not a cloud app. The reminder behavior and preferences are run on your Mac.

Source of truth: all releases, issue reports, and change history are published in the source repository and release page.

What Faraway does in one minute

Faraway is a lightweight macOS menu bar utility that prompts you to pause every 20 minutes and look away for about 20 seconds. It is built for long focus sessions where eye fatigue and screen strain are common.

The value is simple: predictable breaks reduce cumulative strain, help maintain visual comfort, and support sustainable deep-work habits.

Faraway is a free tool because our purpose is to help more people protect their eyes during long editing and coding sessions. We designed it to fit the current rhythm of AI-assisted workflows, where concentration can stretch for long blocks of time. If you are sitting in front of a screen for hours, we want Faraway to make a small, useful pause part of your day.

Product facts at a glance

Offer type
Free desktop utility for long-screen reminders.
Platform
macOS 13+ with menu-bar mode.
Reminder pattern
20 minutes by default, with a 20-second timer on each break.
Support path
Issues and setup support are documented at /support.

Core features

Built for real work sessions, Faraway focuses on reminders that help you create consistent rest habits.

Smart reminders

Full-screen reminder windows with a 20-second countdown appear only when needed and then disappear.

App-aware scheduling

Monitor all apps or only selected apps so breaks happen during intense workflows.

Custom intervals

Set the break rhythm that matches your workload, focus block, and task complexity.

Visible progress

Track daily completed breaks, streaks, and milestones to keep your eye-care habit visible.

Release and source visibility

Keep aligned with the latest build and change notes by using the official release and source pages.

Recent release snapshot

  • v1.1.0 (2026-04-02): Esc key listener leak fixed; daily stats reset correctly at midnight.
  • v1.0.16 (2026-03-01): Fixed sleep/awake crash issues in reminder screens and click-recovery behavior.
  • v1.0.0 (2026-02-27): First major public release, 20-20-20 reminder workflow, and app controls for local-first usage.

How it works

  1. Install Faraway and allow it to run in the menu bar.
  2. Choose your preferred monitoring mode and break interval.
  3. Work with less worry; you will receive clear, full-screen reminders.
  4. Keep focus while reducing strain by completing a 20-second pause.

Who Faraway is for

  • Long-form developers, writers, designers, and knowledge workers.
  • Anyone who spends prolonged time on a Mac and wants fewer visual distractions from reminders.
  • Teams that want a lightweight, local-first pattern for eye-rest behavior.

Download and setup

Faraway supports macOS 13 or later. The release package includes everything needed to run locally.

  • 1) Go to Release archive.
  • 2) Download the latest .dmg installer.
  • 3) Open the DMG and drag Faraway.app to Applications.
  • 4) Launch Faraway from Applications or Finder and complete first-run setup.

Trust and release details

Privacy and data handling

Faraway is designed for local use on macOS. Core reminder behavior stays local-first on-device, while the marketing site uses anonymous visit analytics for traffic insights only.

Platform and support

Supported platform: macOS 13+. Release binaries are published in the release archive repository releases channel and are publicly verifiable at the links below.

Privacy and data policy

Faraway is intentionally local-first. App settings and local reminders are run on your Mac. Core product telemetry is not collected from the app, and only anonymous website analytics are used.

  • No remote user profile tracking is described in product documentation.
  • No personal content from reminders is uploaded to external servers.
  • Release artifacts and issue reports are public through the repository links below.

If you need support or need to report a reproducible issue, use Issue tracker.

Frequently asked questions

How does Faraway handle privacy and telemetry?

Faraway is local-first: reminder settings, app behavior, and usage flow stay on-device. The website may collect only anonymous traffic analytics for product visibility.

Is my data uploaded to the cloud?

App reminder settings and logs are stored locally on your Mac; the website may collect anonymous page analytics.

Can I disable monitoring for some applications?

Yes. Choose "Selected Apps" mode and include only the apps you want reminders to track.

Can I start Faraway automatically at login?

Yes. It can be enabled from settings after first launch.

Where is the codebase?

All source code is available on the project repository at the source repo.

Do I get updates and changelog notes?

Yes. Release notes and updates are published in the release archive page and can be reviewed before you update.

Can I use Faraway for work and personal use?

Yes. The app is usable in focused work sessions and short breaks for everyday use; you can configure intervals to match your workflow.

Can a team adopt Faraway?

Yes. Faraway can be used in team environments since it runs locally, does not need user accounts, and stays focused on your macOS workflow.